Ereri Fanfic: Changes

Close of Play

"You're right, Rivaille. This is something else."

Irvin chewed thoughtfully on the chicken casserole. Hanji nodded contently, tapping her nails against the kitchen island counter next to her emptied plate.

"Told you so!" Hanji said, jabbing a fork at the air. "After that day when he brought food into work, Sasha hasn't been the same. The poor thing practically drools when Eren steps into the office." she laughed, turning her attention toward Rivaille. "Hey, Rivaille, what did you want to talk about? You alright?"

Rivaille reached into his coat pocket that was slung across the chair, pulling out a folded, worn out pamphlet. He pushed it across the counter towards the two, Hanji shoveling in another spoonful of her second helping.

"Trost Academy of Culinary Arts? Wow, the one that produces batches of Michelin chefs every year?" Rivaille nodded curtly, and she continued. "I've heard it's pretty prestigious - Oh, Rivaille, no."

She saw right through him. He blinked back blankly at her as she shook her head. "What would you do without him? He's the first assistant we've gotten that's stuck around and you're trying to send him off!"

Rivaille thrummed his fingers against the countertop, silent. As if this was an easy decision for him.

Hanji let out a deep sigh."If your decision is final, then there's nothing I can do, is there." it wasn't a question. Irvin cleared his throat.

"Have you talked to the boy about this?"

"If he knows what's good for him, he'll go."

Hanji shifted in the chair, glancing at him from over her glasses. "You're going to pay for it? It's two cities away, you're going to have to pay for a place for him to live, too-"

She cut herself off at Rivaille's flat look. "No, he's going to go on the non-existent money he has now." his voice was laced with sarcasm. "Of course I'm going to pay. For all of it. He's going to have to cut down on the groceries, though."

Irvin tapped his finger on his chin. "Can he enroll during the school year?"

"He starts next semester." Rivaille answered. Hanji fingered the worn and dog-eared corners of the pamphlet. Rivaille must have spent many sleepless nights thumbing through it.

"You sure have done a lot of investigating on his behalf, haven't you?"

Rivaille met her gaze for a few seconds, emotions carefully masked. She smirked, amusement gleaming behind the thick frames of her glasses.

"I knew it."

"You let your imagination get away from you. I'm not fond of seeing someone's dreams fall flat."

"But you are fond of leaving pretty red marks all over your assistant's neck." She snickered when he had nothing to say back to that. "Eren wouldn't explain when I asked him, but he doesn't need to. You've got the entire office gossiping about it, you know."

Rivaille scoffed. "Oh, is that what I'm paying them to do now?"

A smile snaked its way onto Irvin's normally stoic face as he spoke up. "Something tells me you don't mind, Rivaille."

"He always did like to write his name on what was his."

Opting to ignore their comments, Rivaille continued "He starts in December. He's got two and a half months left." he snagged the flyer back up from off the counter, folding it neatly and tucking it back into his jacket pocket.

Hanji sighed again and laid her head down on the counter. Rivaille rolled his eyes. "Trying as it may be Hanji, not a word of this gets to Eren. Clear?"